Sano Physiotherapy Ltd is an independent provider of First Contact Practitioner Physiotherapists (FCPs) that delivers the highest quality of clinical care with best-in-class practitioner training, supervision and support.
4.8/5
Patient satisfaction score
4.8/5
Patient satisfaction score
Sano Physiotherapy Ltd is an independent provider of First Contact Practitioner Physiotherapists (FCPs) that delivers the highest quality of clinical care with best-in-class practitioner training, supervision and support.
According to the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England plan to have a First Contact Physiotherapist in every GP clinic across the country by 2024 to relieve pressure on GPs and assist patients is getting the right care in the right place at the right time.
Patients access their FCP through their GP receptionist. The receptionist identifies if the patient is appropriate for FCP contact and triages the patient to an FCP assessment rather than a GP contact. Local, immediate access to Advance Practice Physiotherapists allows patients to access musculoskeletal (MSK) services directly, without the need for a GP referral or lengthy wait for an outpatient appointment. “Patients with back and joint pain, including conditions such as arthritis, will now be able to contact their local physiotherapist directly, rather than waiting to see a GP or being referred to hospital. Patients can also see a physiotherapist by speaking to the GP practice receptionist or by being referred by their GP.”
Sano deliver a year-round, contingent clinical service and are innovative, adaptable and proactive in their approach. I highly recommend Sano’s FCP services to other PCNs.
Dr. Sab Gogna
PCN Clinical Director
As regulated MSK practitioners, FCPs work at an Advanced Clinical Practice(ACP) level. This “is a level of practice characterised by a high degree of autonomy and complex decision making. It includes the analysis and synthesis of complex problems across a range of settings, enabling innovative solutions to enhance people’s experience and improve outcomes”. The skills and knowledge required for this role are attained through postgraduate-level MSK learning, which may include independent prescribing skills, injection therapy skills and imaging expertise.
Evidence demonstrating the value of FCP is growing with NHS England’s evaluation of over 25,000 consultations across more than 40 FCP services. Common outcomes include fewer referrals into secondary care, fewer requests for imaging and improved conversion rates to surgery. Following its recent inclusion in the NHS Long Term Plan, more general practices are reaping the benefits of FCP.
We have been successfully working with Armley PCN in Leeds for many years, hear what Clinical Director Carl Foster and ARRS manager Sinead Brannigan have to say about our service:
Following this successful pilot, our FCP services have significantly reduced the strain on GP’s and secondary NHS services and empowered patients to self-manage their MSK conditions via rapid access to appropriately skilled practitioners.
Sano’s FCP model is focussed on patient empowerment in just a single contact and a recent audit of their services to 1,823 patients at the Morley and District PCN demonstrated that 87% of patients referred into Sano’s FCP services were able to self-manage their MSK condition in just a single contact, which is 26.4% higher than UK primary care data (taken from Br J Gen Pract 2019; DOI)
It's benefit is that it saves GP appointments, it gets people's problems sorted out. They just don't come back, they're not coming for sick notes, or pain medication. The contact with Sano Physiotherapy has been, in my opinion, excellent. In terms of fitting in, it's providing a service we didn't have before
Carl Foster
Clinical Director|Armley PCN
Fully integrated practitioners delivering success
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